Food: beef goulash

This Hungarian classic is full of punchy, spicy flavours.

Serves 4 - takes 3 hours

2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 kg stewing beef, cubed into 1 inch pieces
2 red pepper, chopped into 1 inch pieces
200 g button mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 L beef stock (a stock cube is fine to use)
1 tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper
olive oil

1. Begin by browning off the beef. A quick way to do this is to place the beef and 2 tbsp of oil in an oven proof dish and cook in the oven (at 220 degrees celsius) for 10 minutes by which time the beef will have started to brown.
2. Fry the onion and garlic in 1 tbsp oil until softened.
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 180 degrees celsius.
4. Add onion, garlic, red pepper, tomato puree, mushrooms, beef stock, soy sauce and salt and pepper to the beef. Cover with a lid or foil and cook for approximately three hours or until the beef is meltingly tender.